It’s been a while, brother—all good in here?
2 Likes
03Mar24
Squat
335x4
335x3
335x2
335x2
335x2
335x1
Floor Press
185x6
185x6
185x6
Mid-shin Block Pull
325x8
310x6
310x6
Lunges
135x14
135x14
135x12
BW: 216
4 Likes
04Mar24
Bench Press
195x4
195x4
195x3
195x3
195x2
2-ct Paused Squat
235x8
235x6
235x6
High Incline DB Press
60x12
60x12
60x12
Incline DB Flyes
25x16
25x15
25x14
3 Likes
I didn’t stop training, but needed to stop logging here for a while. I hope I’m back. The past six months have been a s*%tstorm. Luckily, I’m a mutant.
Prepping for a meet June 1; 13 weeks out. I’m not quite at my strongest right now, but am not far off and am probably in the best overall shape I’ve ever been.
III
5 Likes
05Mar24
Arms
Upper Back
Conditioning
4 Likes
Annnnnd he’s back. Good to see you still smashing it mate.
1 Like
Thanks!
06Mar24
Deadlift
405x4
405x3
405x2
405x2
405x1
CGBP
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
Split Squats
125x12
125x10
125x10
125x4
RDL
245x16
245x12
245x10
My right hip felt really cranky on the deadlifts, but they felt really strong otherwise. Doing the back-off sets this way makes for a very heavy feeling training session.
III
4 Likes
07Mar24
Seated BB Press
105x5
105x5
105x5
105x5
Pendlay Rows
165x10
165x10
165x10
Dips
BW+25x12
x8
x8
x8
BB Shrugs
205x20
205x17
205x14
III
5 Likes
08Mar24
Arms
Upper Back
Conditioning
Grip/Forearm work
III
4 Likes
10Mar24
Squat
340x4
340x3
340x2
340x2
340x2
340x2
340x1
Floor Press
195x6
195x5
195x5
195x4
195x4
Block Pulls
335x8
315x8
315x8
I skipped the lunges at the end because my left knee was hurting so badly from squats. The knee hurts every week, but only on my heavy squat day; it’s fine the rest of the week.
That top set of squats moved quickly. I’m excited about where my squat may be headed. I also used my new A7 hourglass knee sleeves for the first time today. So far, I’m a big fan.
III
2 Likes
11Mar24
Bench Press
200x4
200x4
200x3
200x3
200x2
200x2
200x2
2-ct Paused Squat
245x8
245x6
245x5
245x5
High Incline DB Press
65x12
60x12
60x12
Incline DB Flyes
25x17
25x15
25x15
Got my new Texas Deadlift Bar today…
III
3 Likes
12Mar24
30 minutes steady state on the Echo bike.
III
3 Likes
13Mar24
Just got in and did some upper back and arm work. While it’s nice to have aesthetic arms and upper back, I’m trying to focus these days on also doing things that will support my big lifts. My upper/mid traps seem to have really been making some strides, size-wise, lately. I hope that helps my bench press. I’m encouraged with how my bench press has been feeling lately. It has been stuck in neutral for a very long time now, and I’d like to have it a little less embarrassing for the meet I have coming up.
III
3 Likes
14Mar24
Deadlift
425x4
425x3
425x2
425x1
425x1
425x1
425x1
425x1
CG Bench Press
195x5
195x5
195x4
195x3
195x3
Split Squats
130x12
130x10
130x10
130x10
RDL
245x16
245x10
Pretty brutal training today. At least it felt like it. That first set of deadlifts was butter, though. This was my first time pulling with a deadlift bar; I’m in love. I got it for practice because the meet I’m training for uses a DL bar and I wanted to not be surprised the day of (plus I’m always looking for an excuse to buy a new barbell…).
Weighed in at 211.4 lb this morning, which is the lightest I’ve been in quite a while. Too light, honestly. But I’m cutting just a little bit right now so I can kind of “grow into the meet.” Weight class is completely irrelevant for my purposes. I normally sit right at 220 when I’m not trying to gain or lose. So that makes it pretty easy to lift as a 220 or a 242. So I figured for this one I’ll stick at 220. Next winter there’s a meet I’d like to do, and I’ll go up to the 242 class and really try to push some numbers for myself. Or whatever…
Powerlifting is not the impetus behind me needing to get as strong as possible. But I enjoy competing at things, so this is something to do along the way that also makes my training more enjoyable, and still accomplishes the main goal of getting stronger.
III
3 Likes
17Mar24
Squat
345x4
345x3
345x3
345x2
345x2
345x2
Floor Press
200x6
200x5
200x5
200x4
200x4
Block Pulls (mid-shin)
345x8
325x6
325x6
Lunges
135x17
135x15
134x14
Squats are feeling awesome right now. And I had ZERO knee pain today, which felt amazing. Normally I only have knee pain on my “heavy” squat day. And it’s a result of letting my form slip. It’s good feedback for me during the squats, because as soon as I let my knees slide forward at the bottom, my left knee starts hurting immediately. Unfortunately, it then lasts for the rest of the workout. This time I really paid attention from the first rep to setting my knees early and keeping them in place. It made the squats and the rest of the workout immensely more “enjoyable.”
Great session altogether.
III
2 Likes
18Mar24
Bench Press (Paused)
205x4
205x3
205x3
205x3
205x2
205x2
205x5
205x1
2-ct Paused Squat
250x8
250x6
250x6
250x4
High Incline DB Press
70x11
60x12
60x12
Incline DB Flyes
30x14
30x13
30x13
My bench press is feeling pretty good right now. I moved my grip in a couple of fingers width and it seems to be helping just a little bit. Maybe not. It increases the range of motion, but I’m trying to take advantage of my farm-boy triceps strength.
As much as I dislike them, the paused squats seem to be the best variation for me to actually get some help or carryover to my competition squat.
I’m going to have to switch to a barbell variation instead of the dumbbell pressing; my current DB setup only goes up to 70 lb. I don’t mind spending some money on heavier DBs, but I’m running out of space, plus very soon I’m going to have to spend money on some new plates; my deadlift is starting to exceed my current capability to support it.
III
3 Likes
20Mar24
Deadlift
430x4
430x3
430x3
430x2
430x2
CG Bench Press
200x5
200x4
200x4
200x4
200x3
Split Squats
135x12
135x10
135x10
135x10
Trying to stay conservative for now, but I had more in the tank on those deadlifts.
III
3 Likes
21Mar24
Seated Press
110x5
110x5
110x5
110x5
Pendlay Rows
170x10
170x10
170x10
170x10
Dips
BW+30x12
30x10
30x8
30x6
30x6
BB Shrugs
215x20
215x16
215x14
III
3 Likes
23Mar24
Upper back
Arms
III
3 Likes